


Two Cute Dorks

by MadhouseCabaret



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-26 02:49:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4987174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadhouseCabaret/pseuds/MadhouseCabaret
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ivar isn't helping Ludger utilize his new weapons they actually get along fairly well. On one of their rare days off he decides to invite Ludger over for some lunch. The two are complete opposites, and it shows when Ivar attempts to initiate conversation with Ludger on different subjects. Things only seem to become more strange as Ludger is increasingly distracted, and Ivar is unable to pick up the hint.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Conversing Isn't For Everyone

   For the two of them to have anything resembling time off was a rarity. Ludger usually caught up with traversing into fractured dimensions, and then there was Ivar who willingly threw himself into hours upon hours of work. Though finally Ivar had pulled himself away from work long enough a few days ago to invite Ludger over to his apartment. No reason he shouldn't be, right? They worked for the same company, and on top of that fact they weren't enemies by any stretch of the word. The living space was immaculately cleaned up in preparation for the anticipated guest, and Ivar was in the kitchen chopping a few onions while a pot boiled on the stove top. Why was he so nervous about having company over at his place? Not like Ludger was this highly important figure in the hierarchy of society or anything of that nature; he's just Ludger. Or maybe it was because there weren't too many situations where someone actually agreed to hang out with him, and Ivar certainly didn't want to screw it up by, well, doing his usual slew of remarkably dumb things. Though before he could become too embroiled in his thoughts there was a few loud knocks at the door.  
   "Coming!" Ivar called out before setting the kitchen knife down on the cutting board. He swiftly wiped his hands off on a dish rag before padding over to the door, and opening it up with a smile on his face. "Heya there, Luddy! Glad you could make it over." Ivar remarked as he stepped aside and let the young man inside. Ludger was slightly baffled at first by the use of 'Luddy', but brushed it off with a chuckle before responding.  
   "Glad I could make it myself. I was worried there for a few days that work was going to creep up again." As it always did. Though Ludger may as well use his paid vacation time in the near future, but the thought of finding something to do outside of work seemed daunting if not difficult. Then something struck him as different when he turned his full attention on to Ivar. He hadn't ever seen the junior agent in anything _except_ for his work clothes, and now Ludger realized why something just seemed to be a little off. Ivar's hair was down, and longer than Ludger was expecting as it fell to just a little past his lower back. He was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, no shoes and an olive green t-shirt. Funny what a difference in wardrobe can do to make you see someone a bit differently than normal. Though he must have been spaced out there for longer than he thought, because Ivar suddenly waved his hand in front of the currently blank teal eyes.  "Did you fall asleep standing up or something?" Came Ivar's voice as Ludger blinked a few times feeling slightly embarrassed.  
  "N--No, sorry about that I was just thinking about something was all." He quietly apologized whilst rubbing the back of his head. Ivar tilted his head with a brief snort before turning to head back towards the kitchen. Wordlessly he grabbed a glass from the cupboard, poured some juice for his guest and walked back over handing the drink over. Ludger excepted it with a small thanks before shifting on his feat a bit and looking around Ivar's apartment curiously. Everything was very clean, but also the decor was actually pretty nifty if he were to be honest. A lot of pottery, the area rug and other small touches definitely showed a slightly more tribal touch with the smattering of earth hues, but also mixed tastefully with a portion of brighter colors. So much different from his place which was just a whole lot of neutral tones without too many festive touches; if at all. "Make yourself comfortable. Lunch is probably going to be ready anywhere between fifteen to twenty minutes." Ivar said as he briefly looked over his shoulder towards Ludger. Ludger turned around with a small nod before picking a place near the end of the couch, and resting his arm comfortably atop the arm rest.  
   "You know you didn't have to go through the trouble of making my lunch, but thank you..." "I did have to go through the trouble of making you lunch. You're a guest in my house, and as such I see it as my duty to be a good host when you are over here." Ivar stubbornly explained while adding a few tomatoes into the stew mixture. Sometimes Ludger's ability to be so humble was almost like its own superpower...an annoying superpower. Something told Ivar that he wasn't all that used to people outside his own brother doing too much to spoil him. Placing the lid over the stew he quickly turned the knob to a lower setting, and grabbed his own drink before going to sit on the opposite end of the couch. "Alright! Well it is going to be simmering in there for about the next fifteen minutes." Ivar mentioned as he leaned back taking a sip of his drink. So...where did they go from here? Sheesh, how bad was it that Ivar wasn't even all that aware on how to actually start and continue conversations with potential friends? What could they actually talk about? This was important to know. Though he wasn't the only one feeling that way, because Ludger was also quietly fretting over finding things to talk about. The weather was way too much of a cop out, cooking could work, or maybe he could ask Ivar something about Auj Oule? All the while Ivar was wondering what Ludger was actually into, but realizing he could never know this information unless he actually said something to him first. What a pair they must have looked like just sitting quietly on opposite ends of the couch, sipping their drinks and possibly looking awkwardly at everything else except one another. 

What finally broke the ice was an idea Ivar had pop into his head, and it seemed like a good one so he might as well take it. "I hear you're actually pretty snazzy with a pair of blades. I mean, you've kicked my ass a few times with them, but I've never seen you go all out on fighting with those things. I myself use dual blades as well...which is why I was curious." This could possibly be a good start. Or it could end up just completely going down south from here. For Ludger it wasn't the question he was expecting, but certainly a lot better than just the two of them sitting quietly next to each other.   
  "Blades? Yeah, that is what I was mostly taught to use aside from guns. Though I like the maneuverability of blades a whole lot more than I do guns." Ludger gave a nod and comfortably crossed his right leg over the left. So was this going to be the crux of their conversation for the rest of the afternoon? Spirits...why was he so terrible at picking up and continuing conversations? Not like he was without a plethora of things to talk about, but finding his voice to actually express what he wanted was the most difficult part. Ivar picked up on the slightly uncomfortable shift in the mood, and took the initiative to bring up something else as a follow up.   
  "Guns seem like an almost too easy way to take care of things, you know? I have to agree that I like the way a blade handles a whole heck of a lot better than a gun. I mean yeah, I've used pistols before obviously, but they just never captivated my interest. I usually find that the approach of using one is a fast and cheap way to end a fight. If you can dual wield blades, or even one, then you show a level of discipline not a lot of people have." More or less the truth in Ivar's eyes. He could see the practicality behind guns if you did not want to get in close range, but also pointing and shooting didn't really show remarkable talent in his eyes. There was only one person he knew that could do amazing gun tricks, and that person was the ex-mercenary Alvin. Ludger himself showed proficiency in utilizing handguns, but there wasn't that panache there which Alvin apparently possessed. Ah, but that was neither here nor there. 

 Fifteen minutes light conversation came and passed before Ivar hopped up off the couch to check on their lunch. Removing the lid he grabbed two bowls and a serving spoon to dish out the stew. With a light hum he sauntered back over setting the piping hot dish in front of Ludger on the table. "Beef stew with diced carrots, tomatoes and onions mixed in. Topped off with just a little bit of basil for extra flavor! Does that sound good or what?" At the mention of tomatoes Ludger perked a bit, "Sounds pretty good actually." Ludger scooted up a bit and took his spoon stirring idly around in the broth. He hadn't ever had Ivar's cooking before, but according to Milla there were many villagers that really enjoyed it. The myriad of flavors were actually an appealing combination, and the scent of the stew was surprisingly mouth watering. Ludger carefully grabbed the bowl to set on his knee, and took a spoonful into his mouth with a thoughtful expression. Man, this was actually really good! Another bite, and then another as the agent was now happily munching down spoonful by spoonful of delicious vegetables and meat. Ivar had been preoccupied with his own bowl, but took a few small glances over at Ludger who was apparently enjoying himself. Well at the very least his food was a hit with his house guest, but everything else just seemed like it was dragging pace a little bit. Crummiest host ever if you asked him. Not really able to draw too much conversation out of his guest even if he tried, but then again Ludger was always kind of the quiet type. Getting those types to actually open up about anything was more than slightly difficult. Aside from weapons was there anything else that they could actually really talk about with one another? Of course he didn't realize that Ludger was contemplating the very same while eating his lunch. Both sat there silently wondering if they were just being utterly terrible at their lack of proper communication skills. You have the one who can communicate, but perhaps aggressively so at times. Then you have the other who wants to say so much, but is unable to properly convey what it is he means half the time. Both now sitting in almost complete silence except for the light clanking of dishware as they ate.  
  _'I am terrible at this...'_ Was all Ludger could think. Here Ivar had invited him over, but now he just felt rude by remaining so mute. Finally Ivar sat down his bowl and turned a bit to face Ludger. "You look like the kind of guy who probably goes to those clubs in Duvall, and around here too. Am I right?" If anything this question would be random enough to possibly shake his house guest out of their weird stupor. Apparently some good came out of it, because Ludger looked up as he held the spoon near his lips with a brow lofted. Taking a quick bite he swallowed the food down before responding.  
  "Um...?" Was it that obvious that he liked to hang out at those places when he was able to? "...How do you figure I do something like that?" Came his next question which did nothing more than elicit the smallest chuckle from Ivar who, by this point, sat upright a little bit more with a small grin on his face.  
  "Let's be honest here, Ludger. You wouldn't be entirely straight-laced considering you have your bangs, and eyebrow, dyed the way you do. There's a bit of rebelliousness in there I'm guessing." The ex-handmaid pointed out before sitting back against the arm of the couch once more. The observation was responded to by the small sound of Ludger clearing his throat before speaking up in his defense. "Well....I mean that doesn't exactly mean I'm some kind of hooligan you know...?" Which was partially true, but Ivar had hit a small nail on the head with the aforementioned statement. Ivar simply waved his hand dismissively before giving reaching over to grab his drink up and taking a small sip.   
  "You never actually answered my question though, Ludger. Do you like to go to those kinds of places when you have time off?" At least he was getting more expressions out of Ludger this time around; so that was a start. Meanwhile Ludger was sitting there looking almost baffled by the sudden interest in his personal life, but slowly figured it must be because Ivar wanted to try and delve more into his hobbies as a basis for future conversation. There was slight exasperation there as the young man weighed the options on how he should probably go about answering this question, but nevertheless it was finally answered.  
  "Sometimes, yeah. I mean I only go when I can, but I don't really like the whole scene _too much_." Which was probably the understatement of the century. There was a lot to dig about the club scene but, being ground against by a multitude of random strangers was no one of the perks. How many countless times he actually had to endure some weirdo trying to grab his butt was more than he'd like to remember. Though when he and Alvin would go they'd end up at some of the somewhat nicer establishments, and at the very least no one there was trying to accost him at every other turn. "What about you? Do you go to clubs or something?" Ludger finally remembered to counter as he eventually sat his stew back on the table top.   
  "I have only gone twice, and both times were strangely enough for reconnaissance work. I wasn't very fond of all the ultra loud music, flashing light and so many drunk people it was kind of scary. I spent an hour alone just trying to keep people from putting drinks in my face. Then there was this girl that ended up thinking it was a good idea to put her hand where it shouldn't go. Completely freaked me out!" Ivar explained his ordeal with animated hand gestures, and a whole array of facial expressions that practically could tell the story themselves. His ordeal actually sparked the smallest chuckle out of Ludger when trying to picture the exact look on Ivar's face when something like that happened. The girl was pretty brave to be grabbing him like that in the first place considering how combustible his temper is. Though the most Ludger said on the subject was his laugh followed by a 'that sucks' thrown in there somewhere. Ivar continued on with his story of having to maneuver through the seedy joint with the constant worry that someone was possibly going to mug him. Though Ludger saw this as being impossible, because the moment anyone would actually get close enough to his wallet would be the moment Ivar would spring into action. The two sat in this almost one-sided conversation before both eventually finishing their lunch and the empty bowls being sat off to the side while they relaxed and let the food settle.

 

"So cooking, weapons and clubs are you hobbies, huh?" Ivar tilted his head a bit looking at Ludger curiously.   "Uh..." Not entirely, no. Though he wasn't really sure how to explain the scope of what he liked to do when there was free time. Paying off his debt by now might actually be considered somewhat of a hobby by this point. Throughout the entire time of listening to Ivar talk, and up to now, he had been partially distracted by more than just internal monologue. There was no way he was going to say any of this out loud, but the more he looked at Ivar while they talked, the more he took notice of just how attractive the guy looked with his hair down. That isn't to say he wasn't attractive any other time, but when someone is attempting to kick you around the pavement you aren't really paying attention to how good they look. Now that the two were sitting down, eating and talking together he was able to take more of this in. Those bright green eyes, that mocha colored skin tone and the white hair really pulled the whole attractive aspect together. Couple that with some pretty nice clothes, and well, Ludger now currently felt his face beginning to heat up from the barrage of bizarre thoughts. The warmth of his face manifesting into the faintest hue of pink across his cheeks, and Ivar now slowly looking briefly concerned and mostly confused. Here Ivar was starting to think that it was a little warm in the apartment, and stood up from the sofa to walk across the room and open the porch door a little bit.  
  "Should have told me you were feeling warm. Didn't mean to make it uncomfortable in here for you."  
  "Oh...uh, no it's not the room..." Ludger said softly before instantly regretting speaking at all. Lovely, that made it sound even more awkward than he intended. Though apparently Ivar wasn't all that concerned with what he said, and apparently the underlying statement flew over his head. His host promptly grabbed their bowls and sauntered into the kitchen to wash them. "How long did you want to stay over here? I don't care, but I just thought I'd ask before making any assumptions, you know?" Ivar called out from where he was standing, and Ludger took this into quick consideration. Crap, he was already feeling a little awkward from all lack of actual conversation, but also because he almost just slipped up and said something that would have made it even worse. Probably would be a good idea to scram and come back another day when he was going to be less of a goober. Ah, who was he kidding? Everyday was just one poorly timed comment away from looking like a total wacko half the time. Ludger stood up to idly grab the GHS from his pocket, and took a small gander at the time on it.  
  "Oh, I should probably get going here in a little while. I'm off today, but I never got around to cleaning up the house or anything like that. I don't want to seem rude..." Ludger cut himself off and shifted with mild discomfort on his feet. Now he felt doubly bad about eating and running, but when Ivar turned around there didn't seem to be even the slightest hint of annoyance on his face. By the contrary the young man actually seemed a little bit amused as if he expected something like this to actually happen. Wiping his hands off Ivar walked over towards the direction of the door with a broad smile on his face.  
  "Alright, well I don't want to keep you from doing your own business. If you want to pop back over later, or sometime this week, just give me a call and let me know. I'm pretty sure there's something we can do around town the next time, okay?" Ivar suggested as he opened the front door for Ludger while the other was moving to put his drink in the kitchen sink.  
A slight nod and the piebald young man answered. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'll see you at work tomorrow then." Ludger said as he stepped out into the hallway of the floor they were on.  
 "See ya tomorrow, Luddy." Ivar waved before closing the door and locking it soon after the agent walked off. Though once Ludger was gone from inside his apartment he turned, and pressed his back against the door with a heavy sigh. That was either the biggest flop he'd ever encountered in the history of inviting people over, or just the inevitable conclusion to two opposing personalities actually trying to communicate with one another. That being said he wasn't entirely too sure why things were getting so awkward between the two of them. Being bad at conversation aside there just seemed to be an underlying issue on Ludger's end, and Ivar himself was more than slightly distracted even when trying to talk about something interesting. Well it was whatever by this point in time. Who knows though...maybe the two of them could hang back out again in the coming weeks? Maybe next time neither of them would be sitting there like two bumps on a log without an inkling on what else to say.


	2. Ludger's Crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the awkward and somewhat uneventful lunch with Ivar, Ludger spends the next day at work drifting through his duties in a bit of a haze. Yesterday did not make any sense in regards to why he was acting so flustered, and hopefully that did not put too much of a strain on their first attempt to hang out.

   The whole of yesterday's events were predominately at the forefront of Ludger's mind throughout most of the morning. How much of an idiot could he have possibly looked like? Here Ivar had taken the time to invite him over, make lunch and even sit down to engage in some relatively simple conversation. Ludger certainly could blame his own shyness when it came to the matter of speaking with people, but there was also that stupid and abrupt thought which jarred his mind. A momentary realization regarding the attractiveness of his acquaintance, and that in turn had what one could call a snowball affect. Why did he have to go and become so flustered like that? Ivar had to of known that the room wasn't warm at all. And never mind the fact that after the matter of Ludger's pink cheeks were briefly pointed out, he slipped up only to admit that this had nothing to do with temperature. Jeez, how much Ludger just wanted to go find a quiet hole to crawl into for the rest of the day out of embarrassment. Well with any luck maybe there would be no chance to actually run into Ivar today. This would present a perfect opportunity to regroup from the failed situation, and approach it in a different way on some other day. Preferably when Ivar would next ask if he wanted to hang out. Just for now Ludger was happily going to resign himself to the less action oriented scene of his job; running back and forth from floor to floor. There was still a trace of sleepiness in his voice while trekking across the large expanse of reflective black flooring. Co-workers piped in with their often enthusiastic greetings, but the most Ludger could manage was a nod...or a soft hello. Morning coffee hadn't entirely kicked in yet, and that showed by his sluggish his pace was heading towards the elevator.  
  "Hey Ludger!" A voice suddenly rose above the leveled chatter of the main lobby. Stifling back a yawn the young man turned around only to see Ivar bounding over towards him. Oh...great. There went his idea for avoiding any conversation with the guy until at a later time. No reason to be rude though, and Ludger gave a soft wave before pressing the button by the elevator. Ivar slowed himself to a full stop before stretching a little bit. "You look like you didn't drink enough coffee this morning. I take it you had a bad night of sleeping?" The young man innocent asked while looking up to see which number floor was lit up.  
  "Huh...? Oh, yeah the air conditioning wasn't working right..." Which was partially true, but there was no sense in telling him about the weird, racing thoughts. The elevator dinged, and the two stepped out of the way as people began to file out the open doors. Once the elevator had been cleared out they both stepped inside with Ludger going to press the eleventh floor button. "What floor are you heading too, Ivar?" He asked looking over.  
  "Oh, floor twenty for me today. They have you running around being a gopher all day long?" The green-eyed young man asked as he leaned back against the wall when they started to move. The only affirmation Ludger gave came in the form of a nod as they silently headed up the floors, a few people stepping on at about floor seven. The eleventh floor light shone, and another tinging noises sounded as the doors opened up. Ludger began to make his way out uttering a few 'excuse mes' before stepping out into the lobby of the floor. Ivar went to press forward himself to stop and speak up, but halfway through decided to can the question for another time as the doors slowly closed. 

  By the time one in the afternoon came upon them, Ludger was sitting on one of the cushy chairs in the eleventh floor lobby looking positively spaced out. This would probably be a good time to grab a bite to eat, and get some energy running back through his body. The earlier run-in with Ivar wasn't anything too eventful, but yet Ludger found himself slightly off put by the encounter. Maybe it was because he hoped to see him later that the meeting left the agent more than a little bit frazzled. _'What is wrong with me? This is just Ivar I...'_ Ludger internalized these thoughts a dozen times throughout the course of his day. Every single time there seemed to be no real easy answer to why his emotions had taken a different turn. This wasn't the first time Ludger had ever viewed anyone as attractive in the slightest. Just like any other person he had his own preferences on the kinds of people he viewed as favorable in the visual aspect. Ivar certainly _was very_ good looking, but their personalities were so completely opposite that it was almost not even funny. Still...there was something kind of likable about the guy as a whole. Maybe just the simple fact he had this bold, adventurous, tenacious and enthusiastic personality. Only a handful of times could Ludger actually count when Ivar looked or acted anything other than energetic. Most of the time the junior agent was sprinting around with the energy of at least ten men, and there was something kind of endearing about that. Not to be condescending, but that sort of outlook almost reminded Ludger of a canine in a sense. Just full of boundless energy and a willingness to do things for others. Giving a soft grunt he stood up from the chair, and made his way back towards the elevators to head down to the main floor. Yeah, this was definitely going to be a good time to go grab his lunch, and to stop sitting around thinking about his co-worker with the most glazed over expression on his face. People were already beginning to assume that he was sick because Ludger's quietness was about threefold for most of the day. Giving a small yawn he exited the elevator at the bottom floor, and made his way back across the lobby into the sunlight of outside. As he walked down the steps out to the main thoroughfare a thought suddenly zipped across Ludger's mind.

He wasn't _entirely_ crushing on Ivar...was he?

Oh spirits, that would be probably the single most embarrassing thing he would have to tackle in a long time. A guy like Ivar seemed open-minded, but not so much so that he would be entirely okay with entertaining that kind of an idea. Ludger also chalked this sensation, this feeling of a crush, up to the simple face that yesterday he thought the junior agent looked cute. Looking cute, having a slight crush and the like should not always be acted on from what he's gathered through experience. The adage 'you never know unless you try' certainly was not going to find its way applying here. Why did he have to go and form the strangest crushes on the strangest people that were around him? Never once were any of his dates of the particularly normal variety; Julius pointed this out too. Most of Ludger's interests fell around individuals who were just as eclectic as he was. Though the key was for said people to actual know the kinds of hobbies that Ludger engaged in, and half the reason his dating life wasn't so colorful was largely due to his excessive shyness. No though. No, he was not going to allow himself to become a flustered mess whenever Ivar was even within fifteen feet of him. No entertaining the grand idea that it would be an amazing plan to just up and ask him out or anything like that. They could just hang out at each other's place, go out around town like guys do when they hang out together. There didn't need to be any of those awkward additives which would serve to only further perpetuate the discomfort felt between them at lunch. The scent of something delicious hit Ludger's nose as he headed towards the central plaza. Stomach grumbling a bit he gently made his way through the thick of people towards a small vendor by the side of the street. Normally he would pop in at a cafe to sit and relax for a bit, but after having wasted enough time daydreaming, he would intelligently grab something quick and easy to scarf down. Ludger purchased a wrap with meat and vegetables, grabbed a drink to go with it and wandered over to one of the ledges near a building to sit down. For now he could allow his thoughts to wander away from things as pressing as work, and as completely cringe worthy as attempting to figure out his bubbling feelings for Ivar. People watching is what he would do as every manner of person walked past his field of view. Groups of teenagers chattering, a married couple here and there, and the obligatory old man who appeared either confused or way too relaxed. People watching was usually a great way for him to allow all thoughts to come full circle, and also provided ample opportunity to figure out people without the need to talk to them. Funny what you can actually learn by just watching and listening. Ludger took a bite of his lunch giving a pleased hum as his stomach finally began to pipe down. After this he would only have about another four hours or less of work, and so that was at least _something_ to look forward to. This time around he would need to make sure to head back in on time, because the same was not able to be said a week ago when he arrived fifteen minutes late back from lunch.  
 "Go home and try new recipes." The agent murmured to himself as thoughts began to wander outside of work related troubles. There was that one tomato based stew he was meaning to attempt, but never had the time until just recently. Finishing off his wrap Ludger hopped up off the ledge before heading swiftly back towards the Spirius Corporation building. Throngs of people were making their way back inside as he waited patiently to enter in through one of the many doors as people took a moment for last minute chatter. Wading through the sea of people he spotted Ivar exiting from a side office on the main lobby floor, and momentarily started to make his way over towards his co-worker. Why he was walking over was anyone's guess, and Ludger was going off nothing but autopilot. Though the very minute that it seemed like Ivar was going to turn and acknowledge his presence, Ludger swiftly turned to the other direction to head back towards the elevators as if he didn't even notice him. How ridiculously foolish. There he wanted to ask about going to hang out on Sunday, but ended up getting cold feet all because he thought that he was going to start blushing again. From there he quickly, and wrongly deduced that he would only prove in making a fool out himself again. So now he was going to hurry away to save himself the humility, but now only realizing that he must have come off like a total jerk.

Let this day be over already. Ludger stuffed himself into the elevator along with almost a dozen others it seemed, and sank back against the wall with a heavy sigh.


End file.
